Illegal dumping in a residential subdivision, north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Illegal dumping,[1][2] also called fly dumping or fly tipping,[3] is the dumping of waste illegally instead of using an authorised method such as kerbside collection or using an authorised rubbish dump. It is the illegal deposit of any waste onto land, including waste dumped or tipped on a site with no licence to accept waste.[4][5]

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Illegal dumping is typically distinguished from littering by the type and amount of material and/or the manner in which it is discarded. An example of littering could be throwing a cigarette on the ground. However, emptying a rubbish bin with no permission in a public or private area can be classified as illegal dumping.

The term fly tipping is derived from the verb tip, meaning "to throw out of a vehicle", and on the fly, meaning "on the wing" – to throw away carelessly or casually.[6]

Garbage disposal in the UK is heavily regulated, with most households being allowed to only dispose of one 0.2 cubic metres bin of recyclable waste and one similar bin of non recyclable waste every week. Any additional garbage (for example: old furniture and mattresses) must be taken to the landfill by the house owner at their own expense. This has led to many people simply leaving their garbage in open public spaces or untended public gardens. This is also called fly tipping.[7]

As the cost of disposing of household rubbish and waste increases, so does the number of individuals and businesses that fly-tip, and the UK government has made it easier for members of the public to report fly-tipping.[8] The fine or punishment is normally defined by the local council that operates in the local area in which the rubbish was dumped. According to the BBC, fly-tipping costs councils in England and Wales more than £50m annually (2016).[9]

Open dumps are locations where illegally dumped, abandoned piles of waste and debris are left in noticeable quantities. Fines are a common punishment for a person caught dumping at an open dump. Open dumps are commonly found in forests, backyards and abandoned buildings. Open dumps are sometimes removed shortly after they are created, but most will persist for an indefinite period of time when the site is situated in the wilderness or in public space without adequate public services.

^"UK fly-tipping 'on massive scale'". BBC. 2007-03-19. Retrieved 2008-12-16. Fly-tipping is taking place on a "massive scale" across the UK, the Countryside Alliance has warned. Some 2.5m cases of illegal dumping were recorded between April 2005 and 2006, it said, with 1,249,527 incidents reported in Liverpool alone.